I fancy myself some fancy.

You've got to love living in a climate where you can fire up the grill in the middle of January. Tonight we served up the fancy, dry-aged, $25.99/lb ribeye steak that was our backup for Christmas dinner. I now wish I had also bought one of the $8.99/lb ribeyes for comparison; I mean, it was very good, but I don't know that my palate is sophisticated enough to really tell the difference. Caviar would probably be wasted on me, too.

We also made a trip to the farmers' market this morning and picked up some beautiful broccoli, so I felt pressured to highlight it in some other way than our usual steamed version. Thus, the broccoli soup amuse bouche was born.

My favorite part of the meal was the sweet potatoes, so I hope you enjoy them, too.

And, in case you were wondering, The Rolls from our New Year's Eve dinner were still stupendous after being frozen and reheated.

Menu:
Mini Broccoli Soups with Gruyere
Smoky Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Blue Cheese
Grilled Ribeye
Steamed Broccoli
Herbed Garlic-Cheddar Rolls


Mini Broccoli Soups with Gruyere



I got the idea for these little soup shooters from a wonderful local restaurant, noca. We went there for Christmas Eve dinner and were served various amuse bouche throughout the meal, one of which was an incredible butternut squash bisque served in a demitasse. I made this soup while the sweet potatoes were roasting.

makes approximately 1 cup

cooking spray
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c chopped carrot
1/4 c chopped potato, or one small red potato
1 c chopped broccoli
1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 c skim milk
1 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
dash of cayenne or Aleppo pepper to taste
small steamed broccoli florets for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, saute the garlic in cooking spray for one minute. Add the rest of the vegetables and saute for 3 minutes
2. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Stir in the milk. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.
4. Stir in the cheese and heat gently to melt.
5. Add the spices to taste. Garnish with steamed florets and serve in small cups.


Smoky Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Blue Cheese



I accidentally charred the potatoes and rosemary, and the scent of smoky rosemary was heady and unexpectedly savory. The blue cheese, in my opinion, contrasted perfectly with the sweet potatoes and the smoked, charred rosemary. Nate had his without cheese, since he doesn't like blue cheese. I know, I'm trying to overlook this.

makes two generous servings

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 tsp olive oil
1-2 grinds each of salt and pepper
1 oz crumbled blue cheese

1. Heat the grill.
2. Lightly steam the potatoes in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to get them started.
3. Place the potatoes in the center of a large square of aluminum foil, scatter the rosemary over the top, drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper. Wrap the potatoes in the foil to make a packet.
4. Roast over high heat for 7-10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the bottom layer is slightly charred (slightly! You want a slight smoky taste here, not a brick of charcoal!).
4. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and toss with the blue cheese, serve immediately.



Dessert

Sometimes you need to balance out the fancy with some low-brow. I've been on a quest to replicate my childhood soft-serv experiences at the popular summer grease-joint, Minnehan's*, in Lakeville, NY. We went to get ice cream practically every summer night for about 17 years of my life. It was a nightly dilemma: do I get a kiddie vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles or chocolate dip-top? Ack. It was agonizing.

Sprinkles usually won.

*Oh my goodness, I cannot believe Minnehan's has a website. Times have changed.

I had a flash of brilliance the other day when I saw this sure-to-be-good-for-you product in the grocery store:




I had recently realized that the answer to my soft-serv quest might very well lay mere steps from my door:




So after dinner tonight, I put it to the test. I was prepared at the drive-thru with all of the necessary equipment:



Mr. Sprinkles;
A bowl, giving me the option to roll the cone, Minnehan's style;
A spoon, just in case the ice cream was too soft to risk rolling and thus dropping out of the cone.
I ended up going with the roll option. And lo, it was good.

Veggie Nite

Tonight's dinner was entirely vegetarian and adapted from recipes in Annie Somerville's book, Fields of Greens. The hit of the evening was the marinated tofu, and thank goodness the marinade makes a bunch so we can throw some more tofu in to eat later in the week!

Nate roasted a huge spaghetti squash this afternoon, and we subbed squash for the noodles in the Chinese Noodle Salad. I find that most salads simply use the pasta as a vehicle for the dressing, anyway, so you might as well pack your veggies in while you're eating that dressing. We sub spaghetti squash for many pasta dishes with great success.

Menu:
Tofu with Sweet Ginger Marinade
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Grilled Kale
Chinese Noodle (Squash) Salad with Citrus and Spicy Peanuts


Tofu with Sweet Ginger Marinade
from Fields of Greens



This was excellent, and paired very nicely with the peanut sauce and kale. I am excited to try it again with some of the other suggested sauces. We grilled it, placing the slices over medium heat until grill marks appeared, then turning and grilling the other side. I might also try smoking it. IN THE SMOKER--I know what you were thinking...

1 package of firm tofu, about 1 pound
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine or mirin
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark sesame oil (I used 2 T)
1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 T grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a knife

1. Slice the tofu in half horizontally or cut into slabs 1" thick. Place in a colander and drain for 10-15 minutes.
2. Prepare the marinade: combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Arrange the tofu in a shallow pan and pour the marinade over, being sure to cover all the slices.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 2 weeks.
5. Eat fresh or grilled.


Spicy Peanut Sauce
adapted from Fields of Greens



Unbeknownst to me, a little troll has been secretly eating from the jar of peanut butter that I had stocked away in my mental inventory on the "OK to assume we always have plenty without checking first" shelf. Lesson learned. I subbed sesame tahini paste for the PB here, because I had a big tub sitting there (the troll apparently hasn't yet discovered the tasty paste) and it was a fine replacement. This was great drizzled over the marinated tofu.

1 T coarsely chopped yellow onion
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded
1 T peanut oil or light vegetable oil
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T plus 1 tsp lime juice
2 T light brown sugar
1 tsp molasses
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 c water
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Puree the onion, garlic, chiles, oil, soy sauce, and lime juice in a blender or food processor.
2. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients.


Grilled Kale

One of my favorite ways to eat kale. It doesn't work as well with other greens. I usually do it in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes, but we had BTUs to use up on the grill, so I plopped the leaves down after the tofu was done. I cut the kale into large-ish bite-sized pieces, which is how I do it in the oven; next time I will use whole leaves on the grill so I'm not racing to turn all those little morsels before they burn. Use flat-leaf kale if you have the choice.

1 bunch flat-leaf kale
cooking spray
salt
pepper

1. Heat the grill to medium.
2. Spray the kale leaves with cooking spray, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
3. Roast over direct heat until char marks just start to appear; turn the leaves and quickly remove from heat once they are lightly browned on both sides. If they get soggy after cooling, you can re-crisp the leaves for 5-10 minutes in a 400F oven.


Chinese Noodle (Squash) Salad with Citrus and Spicy Peanuts
adapted from Fields of Greens



I've written it as I made it, with spaghetti squash and a few other adjustments.

Marinade:
Zest of half a lime or orange
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 1/2 T fresh ground ginger
3 T rice vinegar
5 T soy sauce
3 T white wine vinegar
2 T dark sesame oil
1 T sugar
1 serrano chile, seeded

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Salad:
1 small spaghetti squash, roasted and seeded
1 medium carrot, sliced into matchsticks
1 cup sugar snap peas, diced
2 scallions, diced
1/2 cup daikon radish, sliced into matchsticks
3 T cilantro, minced
1/4 c Spicy Peanuts, chopped

Scoop the squash into a large bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Toss with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Spicy Peanuts
from Fields of Greens

1 cup peanuts
1/2 tsp peanut oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Toss all ingredients together, spread in a shallow pan, and roast for 12-15 minutes at 325F. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Southern Comfort

Oh dear, Poor Elaine must be positively wasting away on her diet of corn cobs and dirt while I neglect my duties to feed her....Sorry, E, it's been a busy few weeks. We've been eating, and even cooking some, but what with vacations, work, house stuff, and the general silliness that is the way-too-short-24-hour-day, I just haven't had the motivation to report.

But I'm back on the wagon, and it is good.

I was craving some Southern homestyle food last night for who knows what reason, so I whipped up a mighty tasty cornbread pudding with greens, cooked Southern style (i.e., to death), and topped the whole mess off with some grilled shrimp. Honestly, the shrimp was such an afterthought compared to the substantially filling pudding that next time I wouldn't even bother.

And, ooh! I was just brilliantly inspired! This would probably make a fabulous stuffing for Thanksgiving: omit the milk and eggs and moisten everything with broth before stuffing the bird. Drool.

I'm a little proud of this one, I have to say. Enjoy.

Menu:
Smoky Cornbread Pudding
Steamed Greens
Sliced Tomatoes

Smoky Cornbread Pudding

This was a star. Not only was it beautiful and scrumptious, but it necessitated coming up with my very own cornbread recipe that rivals any store-bought version. AND I used some of my bottomless supply of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, so I give myself points for that.

I had originally made a batch of cornbread using some cornbread mix I had in the cupboard. It tasted kind of bitter and dry after baking, and when I checked the expiraiton date on the bag, it was 2 years expired...now, I'm not usually one to get all hot and bothered over a little thing like an expiration date on a dry good, but I had already had two servings of milk from a jug in the fridge that both Nate and I agreed had gone bad but kept drinking anyway, and even though I have (so far) survived that gastric challenge (it was a whole gallon! What a waste!), I didn't think I should push it with the Bad Food Gods. So I tossed the cornbread and scrounged for another option. And here it is. Love.

My Very Own Cornbread

makes 16 pieces

2 eggs
1 T canola oil
2 T honey
1 c buttermilk
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c stone-ground cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and honey.
2. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
3. Pour the batter into an 8x8" baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.



Cornbread Pudding

This is a dry-ish bread pudding, which I thought was fine. But if you prefer a moister, less crumbly version, try increasing the eggs and milk and letting the bread cubes soak in the egg/milk mixture for a few minutes before mixing everything together.



serves 6

4 c cubed cornbread
7 oz turkey kielbasa
1/2 of a medium onion, sliced into fat rings
1 poblano chile pepper
2/3 c skim milk
1/3 c packaged egg whites, or the whites from 2 eggs
corn kernels from 1 cob, about 1 cup
1/4 c cilantro, minced

1. Heat the grill to medium. Place the poblano chile, sausage, and onion over medium heat and grill until char marks appear (the chile should be lightly charred and blistered). Remove from the grill.
2. Peel the skin from the chile, remove the stem and seeds, and dice.
3. Dice the sausage and onion.
4. Toss the cornbread, corn, sausage, chile, onion and cilantro in a large bowl. Transfer to an 8x8 baking dish coated in cooking spray.
4. Stir together the milk and the egg whites and drizzle over the cornbread mixture.
6. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 20 minutes.



Steamed Greens

I usually like my greens lightly blanched and still mooing when I eat them, but sometimes I have a hankering for Southern-style stewed greens. Tougher greens like collards or chard hold up a little better, but this work for spinach, too.

serves 4
3 cloves garlic, minced
cooking spray
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 c chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
8 c chopped greens: collards, mustard, kale, chard, spinach, or a combination

1. Saute the garlic in the cooking spray for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the red pepper.
2. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
3. Add the greens, a few cups at a time, cover the skillet, and let them cook down for a minute or two until you have enough room to add more. When all of the leaves have been added, cover the skillet and turn the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until uniformly dark green and very very soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Marinated Grilled Okra.

Lunch today was a cup of borscht (I'm going to freeze the rest...I'm a little beeted out.) and grilled okra. The Phoenix Public Market was overflowing with okra today, so I thought I'd give it a try.



If you're like me and have only ever had the slimy version coated in cornmeal and deep-fried, then definitely branch out and give this version a try. It was flavorful, crisp, and certainly not the gelatinous globbiness that I remember from the last time I had okra.

Tomorrow I'm off to Chautauqua, NY, for the week, where I will be attending summer camp for grown-ups with my family. While I'm sure I will be eating well (and lots!), I'm also pretty sure I won't be cooking any of it. You're on your own, Elaine...

Marinated Grilled Okra
adapted from The Passionate Vegetarian

Yes, another recipe from PV. I have it on loan from the library, and there are so many good recipes in there that I want to try them all before I have to return it! Sigh...I'll probably just end up buying it...

Crescent lists three different marinades for grilled okra, but I just combined two of them to use up some ingredients on hand. This dish would be a perfect side to accompany any kind of grilled steak or as part of a grilled vegetable cornucopia. I imagine it would also be excellent as part of a salad or salsa with grilled tomatoes and corn.

serves 1-2

6 oz fresh okra
2 tsp olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1 clove garlic
5-6 large basil leaves
1/4 c fresh cilantro
4-5 cherry or grape tomatoes

1. Set the okra in a flat baking dish.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to a food processor and process until uniformly chopped. Spread over okra and marinate for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high. Place marinated okra over direct heat and grill about 4 minutes per side, or until char marks appear and the okra is soft.
4. Serve whole.

My new nemesis: Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Menu:
Grilled Artichokes with Whole Garlic Bulbs
Pizza with Chicken, Pineapple, and Brie on a Whole Wheat Crust
Grilled Corn
Steamed Broccoli

So I have this gigantic bag of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour sitting in my cupboard, and I am determined to figure out how the heck to use it to its fullest potential. So far I'm 1 for 3 (the only winner being the awesome waffles I made last week). And I've still got about 4.5 pounds to use up...I predict a lot of cookies in our future.

I had a hankering for grilled pizza, so I got up early this morning to prep the dough before work (YES, work on a Sunday AGAIN. Send your local vet some ice cream.). I've made plenty of pizza dough before, I've even made whole wheat pizza dough. But tonight's was a failure, as pizza doughs go. It was really fragile (I know, I know. I used PASTRY FLOUR. ) and did not rise much when I grilled it, so we ended up with really funny-shaped, very crunchy crust. It wasn't terrible, but I've made better. I'll flog myself as soon as I finish writing this.




I did two things differently from my usual pizza dough prep, so it remains to be seen which variable was the culprit:

1)I made the dough in the morning and let it rise in the refrigerator all day. I punched it down when I got home It rolled out really nicely, but didn't rise as much as I had expected.

2)I used pastry flour instead of regular whole wheat. I'm guessing this was the problem. This clearly needs further study.


Grilled Artichokes with Whole Garlic Bulbs
originally published in the NYTimes, 5/25/88

Have you ever tried to describe how to eat an artichoke to someone who's never seen or eaten one before? "It's like a big bulb with tough, spiky leaves on it, and you don't eat the leaves but rather scrape them against your teeth to get the stuff off. There's this mysterious thing called the 'choke' in the middle the you cut out because it might kill you--isn't that how it gets its name? Then you cut the heart out and eat that at the end."

Yeah, that explanation earned me a pretty blank stare from Nate after he included artichokes on his "willing to try" list. So when I saw this beauty in the produce section, I had to buy it.



I've always had artichokes with either melted butter or a yogurt/sour cream/mayonnaise dip, but I found this recipe and thought I'd try something different. I would definitely make it again; it was tasty. But then again, I've always thought artichokes were really just a vehicle for whatever sauce they're dipped in, so how can you go wrong with roasted garlic, lemon, and butter? Mmmmmmm.



And Nate approved. Yay!

I've written the recipe with my adaptations below.

serves 2

1 large artichoke
1 head of garlic
1 lemon
2 tsp Italian seasoning or dried thyme
2 tsp light butter
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze both halves into a large bowl.
2. Slice the top off the artichoke and snip the spiky tips off of the outer leaves with scissors. Cut the artichoke in quarters and cut out the choke. Put the quarters into the bowl with the lemon juice and cover with water. Place a plate on top of the artichoke quarters to completely submerge (this is to keep the artichoke from turning brown).
3. Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and remove as much papery skin as possible. Halve the bulb and set aside.
4. Prepare 2 large squares of tin foil. Onto each square, place two artichoke quarters (do not drain the lemon water from them as you lift them out of the bowl; you want some lemon water in there to help flavor and steam) and a garlic bulb half. Drizzle each serving with 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp light butter, sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.



5. Carefully wrap the tin foil around the artichokes to create a leak-proof package.
6. Place over high grill heat for 30-40 minutes, or until the artichokes are soft and the garlic is spreadable.



6. Serve out of the foil, dipping the leaves in the accumulated juices and taking a bite of garlic with each one.


Pizza with Chicken, Pineapple, and Brie on a Whole Wheat Crust

(I'm going to hold off on posting the crust recipe because I don't want to be responsible for your disappointing dinner).

Serves 2-4
1 crust recipe of your choosing, or store-bought, for a 12-inch crust
1 cup pizza sauce
3 oz Brie
4 oz cooked chicken breast (I am particularly fond of Trader Joe's frozen grilled chicken strips)
3 slices raw or grilled pineapple

1. Prepare your crust. Just don't use pastry flour.
2. If you are grilling, pre-cook the crust for about 3 minutes per side.


Crust tragedy.

3. Remove from the grill and spread the toppings on the crust.
4. Carefully put the pizza back on the grill and cook with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked to your liking. Be careful not to let it burn!


What state is this: Ohio? Louisiana?

Gooseberries!

Tonight's featured ingredient was gooseberries. When we commenced with the Fruit-stravaganza here on Le Rue de Fleur a few weeks ago, gooseberries were included on the list of "willing to try" provided by Nate.

I've never had gooseberries; I've never even seen them. So when I stumbled across a gooseberry display at Whole Foods, I knew I had to buy them.



They are so cute! Raw, they taste like a sour grape. I think they are meant to be cooked or used with other sweet things to offset their tartness. Most of the recipes I found, though, either involved making them into dessert (pie, fool, cobbler...) or canning them with an ungodly amount of sugar to make a preserve. So I was on my own! I think I did pretty well by them, if I may say so myself.

The naming of the gooseberry recipe became an issue when I referred to it as various things like relish, salsa, chutney, and compote. I realized that all of those names were pretty much the same in my mind, so in the interest of educating myself and the general food-loving public, here are some definitions (from CDKitchen):

Relish:a cooked or pickled sauce usually made with vegetables or fruits and often used as a condiment; can be smooth or chunky, sweet or savory and hot or mild.

Salsa: 1. Spanish for sauce. 2. Traditionally, a Mexican cold sauce made from tomatoes flavored with cilantro, chiles and onions. 3. Generally, a cold chunky mixture of fresh herbs, spices, fruits and/or vegetables used as a sauce or dip.

Chutney: The name for a large range of sauces or relishes used in East Indian cooking. Fresh chutneys have a bright, clean flavor and are usually thin, smooth sauces. Cilantro, mint, and tamarind are common in fresh chutney. Cooked chutneys have a deeper, broader flavor.

Compote:Dried and fresh fruit cooked with sugar to a jam like consistency, brief enough to allow the fruit to retain their individual identity.

So, it's not a compote, that's clear. But I think what I made tonight could qualify as a Salchutlish. Whatever. It was good.

Menu:
Chile-Rubbed Chicken with Gooseberry-Mango Salsa
Mixed Greens with Basil
Grilled Corn
Grilled Pineapple


Chile-Rubbed Chicken with Gooseberry-Mango Salsa

Note: I forgot two key things when making the chicken.

1. I forgot to brine it. Cardinal sin, in my grilling book. It's easy: Dissolve 2T salt and 2T sugar in about 4c warm water and submerge chicken breast for about 30 minutes. Rinse before coating with rub.

2. I walked away to hang my laundry after putting the chicken on the grill. It *may* have burned just a teensy bit. OK, it burned a LOT. You're not getting any pictures of this ugly debacle. Suffice it to say, when you're grilling over high heat and your chicken is coated in anything that contains sugar, watch it carefully!!!

Note 2: If you don't have the ingredients for the rub or if you're just feeling lazy, a pre-mixed chili-powder rub will do just fine.



I am a big fan of Penzey's Spices, especially their Ancho Chile powder. You should buy stuff from them. They're cheap and high quality.

Serves 2-4

Chicken:
1 T ancho chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp brown sugar
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2 skinless chicken breasts, bone-in

Salsa:
1 c gooseberries, de-stemmed, divided
2 T water
1 tsp lime zest (from about 1/2 of a lime)
1 T lime juice (from about 1/2 of a lime)
1 T packed brown sugar
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1 T grated ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 mango, cubed

2 c baby spinach
1 c baby arugula
1/2 c basil leaves, torn

1. If you brined the chicken, rinse it and pat dry.
2. Combine the chile powder through olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the chicken breasts and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour to overnight.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high.
4. Grill the chicken until done, being careful not to let the rub burn.
5. Meanwhile, make the salsa: Combine 1/2c gooseberries in a small saucepan with the water through cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, mashing the gooseberries with a spoon, until a thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.



5. Cut the remaining gooseberries in half and toss with the mango. Stir in the cooled gooseberry-ginger mixture. Taste for sweet-tartness; add more brown sugar or lime juice if needed.
5. Slice chicken and serve over greens topped with the salsa.



The leftover salsa made a very nice dressing on my salad the next day for lunch: I tossed together some baby spinach, baby arugula, torn basil leaves and torn mint leaves with some sliced strawberries, and mixed in about 1/2 c of the gooseberry salsa. Super easy and delicious.

It's a Tuna Hay Day

We scored tickets to tonight's Cubs/Diamondbacks game, which necessitates eating early to avoid being forced to shell out $57 for a tiny hot dog and soda at ye olde Chase Field. We've been eating more meat than usual lately (what with all the sliders, leftover sliders, and more leftover sliders), so fish seemed a logical choice.

Menu:
Grilled Tuna with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
Sweet Potatoes
Mixed Greens Salad

Grilled Tuna with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
from Kim Rizk's Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes are not complicated, yet they are consistently good and out of the ordinary. There is an herbed peasant bread in there that is out of this world. But I digress.

This recipe fit the bill for quick, easy, and delicious. The vinaigrette is scrumptious, and I honestly had a hard time not licking out the mixing bowl.



OK, I did lick the bowl. I'm OK with it.

serves 4

Vinaigrette:
3/4 c vegetable oil (I used 1/2c Olive oil, and might even use less next time)
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 T minced fresh ginger (I grated it with a microplane)
1 small clove garlic, minced
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 c fresh orange juice
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 t soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Tuna:
4 tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
1 cup Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
6 oz mixed salad greens (I used spinach and arugula)
4 t sesame seeds, toasted

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette except the salt and pepper.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour 1 c vinaigrette over the tuna steaks in a shallow dish and marinate for 30
minutes.

4. Heat the grill to medium.
5. Coat grate with cooking spray or oil.
6. Remove tuna from marinade, discard marinade. Place steaks on the grill and cook until medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side.


7. Place steaks on mixed greens and drizzle 1 T vinaigrette over dish before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.



Note:
I toast sesame seeds by heating them in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are light brown and fragrant. They will go from lovely brown to charred black in about 0.37 seconds, so don't walk away.


Raw...


Toasted! Subtle, I know.

For the sweet potatoes, I never have the patience or forethought to roast them in the oven. I have found it to be much simpler to prick them with a fork a few times, wrap in a paper towel, and drizzle water over the little bundle before placing in the microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Easy peasy.




Great dinner, now off to the ballgame!

Spinach (I could be convinced to try)...

...wrote Nate in an email the other day outlining which fruits and vegetables he
a)likes
b)dislikes
c)hates
d)hasn't tried but would be willing to taste in the interest of expanding his food repertoire

And lo, this wife's heart went pitter pat at this concession from her veggie-wary husband.

Aaaand about 2 seconds later, I threatened to print out the email, get it notarized and framed, and use it against him for all future time.

SO: we are all spinach all the time here on Flower St. I am going to cook every yummy spinach dish known to man in the hope that I find one he likes.

Pray for me.


Menu:
Grilled Shrimp over Garlicky Lemon Spinach
Mixed Greens and Mango with Lemon Vinaigrette
Grilled Medjool Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese
Grilled Corn


Grilled Shrimp Over Garlicky Lemon Spinach

I love grilled shrimp. It takes no time at all and you can serve it with greens, salad, rice, pasta, you name it. Perfect for summer evenings.




serves 2

Shrimp:
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp, tails removed
2 c warm water
1 T kosher salt
1 T sugar

Spinach:
4 c baby spinach
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 T water or chicken broth
juice of half a lemon (about 2 T)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Light the grill. While the grill is heating, mix the salt and sugar in the water and add the shrimp to brine (about 15-30 minutes, or however long it takes to get it to the grill).
2. Grill the shrimp in a grill pan over medium heat, about 2 minutes per side. They will be done quickly; don't walk away!
3. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper, cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach and broth and bring to a boil. Cook the spinach until just wilted. Remove from heat and toss with the lemon juice.
4. Arrange the shrimp on top of the spinach and serve.



Mixed Greens and Mango with Lemon Vinaigrette

This was a terrific, light, easy summer salad. I had planned to make it with beets and balsamic dressing, but my beets were bad and the mango was ripe, so I changed the dressing to lemon and came up with this. It would probably also be very good with peaches or nectarines or maybe even strawberries. Slices of grilled or poached chicken would make it into a very easy, more substantial lunch.



serves 2

1/2 tsp lemon zest
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cubed
1 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
2 c baby spinach
2 c baby arugula

1. Whisk together the lemon zest, juice, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
2. Toss the dressing with the mango, goat cheese, and greens.

Grilled Medjool Dates Stuffed With Goat Cheese

These were inspired by a dish at one of my favorite Phoenix restaurants, Tuck Shop. They serve dates stuffed with chorizo and cheese and drizzled with some sort of dressing, and I have to really hold back from licking the plate right there in the middle of the resturant. I saw dates at the store today and thought I could make a stab at my own lightened version.

UM. OH MY GOODNESS. CAN ANYONE SAY "CANDY FOR DINNER?"
Holy Bites Of Sin, Batman.



serves 2, if you can bear to share.

4 large Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 oz soft goat cheese, divided
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste

1. Stuff each pit cavity with goat cheese.
2. Thread the dates onto two parallel metal skewers. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Grill over hot coals, slit-side up, for about 2 minutes, or until lightly charred.
4. Devour.


Ha! In my excitement over the spinach, I almost forgot about the Fruit-stravaganza that is taking place in our house. Nate has put me in charge of finding fruits that he will like. So I buy lots of different fruits and we eat them together, with me being the judge of whether a particular piece is a good representative (i.e., mealy pears are bad reps of their kind and we wouldn't want to write them off completely based on one bad seed).

So far, the list of approved fruits includes:
cherries
nectarines (but not peaches)
pineapple
grapes
apricots
apples
strawberries
plums
lemons/limes (although I think these were approved as drink garnishes...)

Let the record show that Nate can no longer be called a veggie-hating, fruit-avoiding, pizza-and-hamburger-subsisting beige-food-only eater. I support this endeavor and am proud of his eagerness to try new stuff!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Aaahh I have nothing witty to say tonight. On to the food.

I had two chicken breasts defrosting in the fridge and nothing exciting planned. I needed something quick that could be thrown together after getting home from a late day at work (which usually means walking in the door at 7:30 at the earliest). I found this recipe on EatingWell.com and it fit the bill.

It helped tremendously to have Nate get things started when he got home (thanks, man) so we could brine the chicken and use the grill, but you could easily skip the brining step, use boneless breasts, and either broil or saute them for speed. I just happen to prefer brined* chicken breasts, and I really like to grill.

The chicken recipe originally called for drumsticks, but I used bone-in, skinless breasts and drizzled the dipping sauce over them just before serving. The glaze is sweet and has a subtle hint of mint, and would probably also be really great on grilled shrimp, grilled fruit, or maybe even grilled pork tenderloin.

*a note on brine: I will now grill chicken and shrimp only if they've been brined first. It keeps the meat so moist and juicy, you pretty much can't dry it out, which is always a danger with chicken and shrimp. A 30 minute brine for each is really all you need, and I usually stick with salt and sugar. Sometimes I'll throw in maple syrup, or a lemon, or some chili powder...I don't know if I can actually taste the difference, but it makes things seem fancier.

Menu
Sweet and Sour Chicken Breasts
Corn on the cob
Grilled pineapple
Steamed broccoli
Sliced tomatoes
Grilled Peaches with Honeyed Ricotta

Sweet and Sour Chicken Breasts
adapted from EatingWell.com



Chicken
4c warm water
2 T kosher salt
2 T sugar
2 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts

Glaze
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1. Stir the salt and sugar into the water and dissolve. Place chicken in a bowl, pour the brine over it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the grill to medium and grill the chicken until done, about 10-15 minutes per side.

3. While the chicken cooks, make the glaze. Whisk together the orange zest and juice, water, honey, 1 T vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and coriander in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tsp vinegar and add slowly to the orange juice mixture, whisking constantly until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in the mint.

4. Slice the chicken and drizzle the glaze over each serving.



Grilled Peaches with Honeyed Ricotta




1 peach, just ripe and still firm, halved and pitted
2 T part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chopped mint

1. Mix together the ricotta and the honey and place in the refrigerator.
2. Place the peach halves on the grill, cut side down, for 3-4 minutes or until grill-marks appear.
3. Serve the peaches warm with a dollop of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mint.

I has a hard life.

If a python bites you in the forest...

Dinner plans for the last two nights were usurped by various other functions like Biology/Philosophy grad department parties and veterinary continuing education events. I know, you thought we were nerds down here on Rue de Fleur; but now you know just what kind of jet-setting socialites we really are.

Topics discussed this weekend at the events in question (and extra points for whomever can match the topic with the event):
1) Are pythons conscious; i.e., do they make a conscious decision to bite you, or is it just instinct?
2) Bacterial infections contracted via the transitive property while having improper relations with a mortician in a strip club...
3)The travesty that is the current movement toward NOT killing a bunch of animals for the purpose of learning how to do surgery...
4)Space travel
5)Futurama quotes
6)Antibiotic resistance (terrifying)

Good food was had by all each night, but none of it was cooked by me or Nate. So we're back on track tonight (drum roll.....)!

Nate requested salmon burgers and corn. Far be it from me to discourage this recent interest in exotic foods, so I pieced together a few different recipes and came up with my own version. I hope it was everything he hoped for and more. This was a bit more involved than a typical weeknight dinner, but these burgers could be made ahead and frozen and thrown straight on the grill. Also, I think these could be made with canned salmon instead of raw, which would be a lot faster.

The Menu:
Salmon Burgers with Lemon-Dill Aioli
Arugula and Potato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Grilled Corn!
Steamed Broccoli


Salmon Burgers with Lemon-Dill Aioli




I cobbled this recipe together after reading about ten different recipes for salmon burgers. The technique was borrowed from a New York Times article by Mark Bittman; Bittman's recipe did not call for egg, but every other recipe did, so I used two egg whites. Boy, that mixture got awfully goopy...I should have listened to Mark. The guy knows what he's doing. Next time I'll either cut the eggs out altogether or just use one white. I put the burgers in the freezer for about two hours before grilling, otherwise I think they would have fallen apart.

Burgers
makes 3 4-inch patties

8 oz salmon fillet, skinned
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika, half-sharp (or 1/4 tsp cayenne)
2 scallions, sliced, white part only
1 T grated ginger root
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 T dried breadcrumbs
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
salt and pepper

Aioli
2 T mayonnaise (I used light, olive-oil mayo)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried dill (this would probably be nicer with fresh)

1. Cut the salmon into chunks.

2. Put about 1/4 of the salmon into the food processor with the garlic powder, ginger, and paprika and blend until pasty. (I know, gross. Pasty fish. Just go with it.)

3. Add the rest of the salmon, the scallions, and the lemon zest and pulse a few times until combined and the salmon has been cut into 1/4" pieces. Do not over-process.

4. Fold in the egg whites and the breadcrumbs.

5. Form into 3 patties, wrap with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer to firm up.

6. Oil or spray a grill pan and place patties over medium heat. Grill about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how frozen they were to begin with.




6. Blend the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon zest with the dill in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to eat.



Arugula Potato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This salad was inspired by a recent post on the lovely Zen Kitchen blog. I had a bunch of arugula to use up, and this was perfect. I decreased the potatoes, added grilled corn, and used the salad as a base for the salmon burger. This salad could easily carry grilled shrimp, chicken breast, or just stand alone.

Serves 2

1/4 pound small red creamer potatoes
1/2 c grilled or steamed corn kernels (about 1 ear)
1 small shallot
1 tsp plus 1 T olive oil, divided
2 T wine vinegar (I used a citrus champagne vinegar, but use whatever you like)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp stone-ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste




1. Peel a strip around each potato. Steam for 15 minutes, then thread onto a skewer, baste with olive oil or cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.




2. Grill over medium heat until crisped, about 3 minutes per side. Let cool and place potatoes in a salad bowl. Stir in corn.

3. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small pan and saute sliced shallot for about 1 minute. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Stir in shallots. Whisk in 1 T olive oil until smooth. Taste for seasoning; add a pinch of sugar if too tart. Toss the potatoes and corn with the dressing.

4. Toss arugula with potato mixture and serve.

I can has salmon burger?